But when Bogart died of cancer in 1957, Bacall and their children had to take everything he had taught them and grow up fast. In a time of postwar communism, Hollywood blacklisting, and revolutionary politics, she mixed with the legends: Hemingway, the Oliviers, Katharine Hepburn, Bobby Kennedy, and Gregory Peck. She was engaged to Frank Sinatra and had a turbulent second marriage to Jason Robards. But Bacall never lost sight of the strength that made her a superstar, and she never lost sight of Bogie.
Now, on the silver anniversary of its original publication, Bacall brings her inspiring memoir up to date, chronicling the events of the past twenty-five years, including her recent films and Broadway runs, and her fond memories of many close lifelong friendships. As one of the greatest actresses of all time turns eighty, By Myself and Then Some reveals the legend in her own beautiful frank words -- encapsulating a story that even Hollywood would struggle to reproduce.
My Thoughts...
On Tuesday, August 12, 2014 Lauren Bacall died. Not knowing a lot about her I decided to read her autobiography "By Myself and Then Some" All I mostly knew about her was that she had been the wife of Humphrey Bogart and later Jason Robard.
I found this a very interesting read, especially if you are a fan of Bacall or Bogart. The back story of Bogie and Bacall is just one of the many reasons to read this book. I always felt that Bacall was one of a kind...A class act!
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Legendary actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89
Silver screen siren Lauren Bacall, who sizzled in classic films like “The Big Sleep” and “How to Marry a Millionaire,” died on Tuesday at the age of 89.
“With deep sorrow, yet with great gratitude for her amazing life, we confirm the passing of Lauren Bacall,” the estate of the Bogart family said on Twitter.
The actress had a fatal stroke Tuesday morning in her home, TMZ reported.
Born Betty Joan Perske in 1924, Bacall was raised in New York City by immigrant parents. At only 19, the husky-voiced actress caught the eye of film director Howard Hawks’ wife after appearing on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine in 1943.
Bacall was on her way to becoming one of the great stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age after Hawks cast her in “To Have and Have Not” alongside her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, in 1944.
It was in that film that she uttered the unforgettable line: “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and … blow.”
A year later, the sultry starlet married Bogart, who was 25 years her senior, after he divorced his third wife, actress Mayo Methot. The couple went on to co-star in three film-noir classics: “The Big Sleep,” “Dark Passage” and “Key Largo.”
Bacall and Bogart had two children together and remained a close couple until the actor’s tragic death of esophageal cancer in 1957.
Throughout her long and legendary career, Bacall appeared in over 30 movies, including “Murder on the Orient Express” and John Wayne’s last film, “The Shootist.”
Known for her glamorous beauty and sharp wit, she became famous for her sexy upward glance, dubbed “The Look.”
“I used to tremble from nerves so badly that the only way I could hold my head steady was to lower my chin practically to my chest and look up at Bogie,” she said of the signature move. “That was the beginning of ‘The Look.'”
The movie legend returned to her native New York in the ‘50s and embarked on a successful Broadway career, earning Tony Awards for her roles in the musicals “Applause” and “Woman of the Year.”
After a brief but rocky fling with Frank Sinatra, Bacall wed Oscar-winning actor Jason Robards. They had a son together and divorced in 1969.
In 2009, she received an Honorary Academy Award after being nominated once in 1997 for her work in “The Mirror Has Two Faces.”
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